House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is bracing for a grueling pre-recess session next week as he attempts to muscle three high-stakes measures through a deeply fractured Republican majority. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) bluntly told reporters: “Next week is going to be hell week.”
Johnson has built a reputation for pulling off the improbable, but his rank-and-file have shown a newfound willingness to buck President Trump — the ally the speaker relies on to close tough votes. The three contentious items are: a long-term extension of Section 702 FISA surveillance powers, the farm bill, and the Senate-passed budget reconciliation resolution to fund ICE and Border Patrol.
The speaker's biggest headache appears to be the Senate budget resolution for parts of the Department of Homeland Security. Many House Republicans are skeptical that the Senate will follow through on a third reconciliation bill. “We don’t trust the two step process. I just will be honest with you, because the two step process has the separation in it. That's a sticking point,” Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) told Axios.
House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) acknowledged the impasse: “We're not there yet.” The standoff pits pragmatic deal-making against an increasingly rebellious conservative flank that is demanding to make reconciliation 2.0 as ambitious as possible.
If Johnson fails to unify his conference, the Senate and the White House may face a delayed or hollowed-out legislative agenda ahead of the August recess — raising doubts about GOP governance even with unified control of Washington.